Kingspan Light + Air illuminates warehouses

A very cost-effective method of fitting rooflights into the existing metal roof delivering projected lighting cost savings of over £13,000 per annum.

Kingspan Light + Air has helped to transform two outdated warehouses in Stockton-on-Tees into bright, modern workplaces with a specification combining Kingspan Day-Lite Kapture rooflights and Kingspan Smart-Lite Kite lighting – delivering projected lighting cost savings of over £13,000 per annum.

Smart lighting, both natural and artificial, and even smarter planning helped rejuvenate two existing warehouses near Middlesbrough, creating a truly modern working environment which safeguards staff wellbeing and reduces lighting energy usage by a factor of five.

Challenges and Actions

Design stage

The two warehouses, owned by Hambleton Group Ltd, are leased by a flat pack furniture company. The main warehouse featured no rooflights and both buildings were lit with dim, high pressure sodium lights, leading to internal light levels of under 50 lux. At this level, staff were having difficulty reading labels and headlights were required on all lift trucks. To resolve this, Hambleton Group Ltd requested an energy efficient lighting solution.

Kingspan Light + Air carried out detailed daylighting analysis of the existing buildings using virtual 3D models within radiance simulation software. The analysis assessed the illuminance on the working plane within the building, based on the position of the Sun at 30min intervals throughout a full year. Typical weather data for the location was also included in the analysis.

Based on this analysis, Kingspan Light + Air specified and supplied 134 Kingspan Smart-Lite Kite modules and a further 13 Kingspan Day-Lite Kapture rooflights to enhance natural light levels.

Build Stage

The warehouses remained fully operational throughout the installation process and Kingspan Light + Air collaborated closely with the system installers – Mara Electrical and Roofing & Cladding Services to allow the installation process to be completed with minimal disruption to tenants.

Mara Electrical fitted the 133W Kingspan Smart-Lite Kite over a period of three weeks. The modular design of the lights allowed them to be configured to each warehouses’ exact requirements whilst the high quality LEDs ensured both durability and lifespan. Occupancy and daylight harvesting controls minimise unnecessary usage, further improving overall energy efficiency.

The Kingspan Day-Lite Kapture units were installed directly into the existing metal profile roof; weathertight detailing was therefore a key consideration. By staggering the units along the ridge line, Roofing & Cladding Services were able to simply weather seal the roof lights back to the ridge. This greatly reduced the complexity of the installation whilst illuminating the main thoroughfare for lift-trucks.

Lessons & Results

By working in collaboration with Kingspan Light + Air, we were able to find a very cost-effective method of fitting the rooflights into the existing metal roof, by staggering the rooflights along the ridge line. This allowed us to simply weather seal the rooflights back to the ridge.”

1. Speedy delivery

Careful planning and co-ordination between Kingspan Light + Air, the occupants and installers allowed the work to be completed in a period of just 7 weeks whilst the warehouse remained fully operational

2. Energy Efficient

The solutions vastly improve internal illuminance within the warehouse whilst reducing energy usage by 80%. Over the lifespan of the building this is expected to save around 67 tonnes CO2 emissions.

3. Pay-back

The systems are expected to provide full pay-back in just over three years and deliver a return on investment of over 210% on the cost of the system within 10 years.

4. Tax relief

Hambleton Group Ltd were also able to apply for tax relief through the ECA Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme which can be taken in full in the first year.